Is self-optimization the ultimate expression of a post-capitalist society, or is it a neoliberal idea? First and foremost an economic concept destined to push us toward higher achievement, we need to ask ourselves whether we wish to adhere to its tenets.
Historically, and thus religiously, self-optimization was something one attempted on the inside – to sin less, do good, and gain one’s place in heaven. But today, self-optimization refers not only to self-cultivation; we mostly concern ourselves with how we are viewed from the outside. Are we thin, rich, good-looking, well-dressed, smart, efficient, and spiritual enough?
In post-capitalism, self-optimization concerns the development of “human capital”: better health, more output, and better moods to maximize one’s market value. In an optimal post-capitalist society, the shift is from productivity to individual flourishing. Over the last forty years, it has been suggested that in a society like ours, where basic needs are met and labour is not essential to survival, we should strive to better ourselves and reach our highest human potential. Unfortunately, the pressure it creates remains much the same.
In neoliberalism, the individual has internalized the wish to be perfect and carries the risk for his or her success or failure himself or herself. Whereas post-capitalism developed toward prioritizing individual well-being and autonomy over productivity, in a monetarist system everyone is out to get ahead. In both systems, the self is objectified, its achievements quantified. The optimized self is never good enough; there’s always more, better, bigger. Collective problems become individual issues. If you are poor, the causes are never systemic but invariably your own fault; if you burn out at work, it wasn’t the crazy workload – you didn’t manage yourself properly. If you worry about the climate, you are unable to manage your anxieties. If you get shot in the street, it isn’t due to federally sponsored violence but because you ought to stay home!
One way or another, the notion that good might be good enough has been thrown under the bus. We need to alleviate the nagging compulsion to be better and best, and to stop tracking everything we do, from sleep to calories, steps to focus and mood. We want to concentrate on authenticity rather than fantasy. Just say no to compulsiveness.
The concept of optimization is also applied to psychedelics, as in “the betterment of healthy people.” Not only do I find this concept bigoted. Most users take psychedelics to have fun and gain insights as an aside. Why pretend that this could be otherwise, if only we were more serious? As if anyone ever took psychedelics to get worse!
We are looking at three main areas here: psychedelic therapy, psychedelic spirituality, and the use of psychedelics to maximize one’s energy. Therapy takes precedence, also because it is the legal door opener for further liberalization. Spiritual use remains a valuable contribution to our emotional and psychological well-being, but it is not the be-all and end-all, and there is no moral superiority to be gained over often younger, developing minds who feel the need to express their energy in more physical ways. Above all else, the sanctimonious attitude of many older psychonauts toward recreational use looks like envy to me.
Longer days are returning but we still have a way to go toward accepting ourselves the way we are as a first step to a more balanced life.
Yours,
Susanne Seiler
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